Pupils meet Russia's real-life rocket man
DONCASTER schoolchildren have been challenged to start their own space race - by a former astronaut.
Cosmonaut Alexander Volkov, aged 60, visited Doncaster College and Scawsby's Ridgewood School and told pupils: "If young people in Doncaster have a dream to go into space, they can do it if they put their mind to it. I had a dream as a young boy and it came true so it can happen."
Mr Volkov himself was inspired to reach for the stars by the example of Yuri Gagarin - the first man in space.
Mr Volkov was orbiting the earth with fellow cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev on the Mir space station when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991.
The two became famous as 'the last citizens of the USSR' as they went into orbit as Soviet citizens but returned to earth as Russian citizens.
Mr Volkov was awarded the rank of Hero of the Soviet Union and also received the Order of Lenin.
He was accompanied on his visit by spacecraft designer Alexander Martynov - who has invited aviation pupils from Ridgewood School to spend a week at the Space School in Moscow.
The two gave talks to 700 Year Nine pupils from secondary and special schools across the town at the Dome and also led interactive presentations entitled 'It Is Rocket Science' and 'Manned Mission To Mars'.
A Doncaster College spokesman said: "The kids were absolutely spellbound by what they heard. They had so many questions for the cosmonauts it was unbelievable. They all had a fantastic time and it probably inspired them to bigger and better things."
Ridgewood teacher Fran Dainty added: "Having the two Russians here was an absolutely fantastic experience.
"The pupils were a bit awestruck and asked lots of questions - including the usual things like how do you go to the toilet in a spacesuit.
"We organised workshops around the visit for our key stage three, Year Eight pupils and our Year Nine students produced a range of models and displays which the cosmoauts were very impressed by.
"I think we gave them a bit of a surprise too - one of the pupils met them dressed as an astronaut - so the spacemen were greeted by a spaceman.
"You never know - one of the students who took part in the visit could very well end up going to space themselves. Certainly the chance to visit the space school is a fantastic opportunity. After that, anything's possible."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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